parmelee



(No Model.)

- D. D. PARMELEE. v

APPARATUS FOR COVERING WIRE WITH PLASTIC MATERIAL.

No. 429,581. Patented June 3, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DUBOIS D. PARMELEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE OKONITE COMPANY,.OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR COVERING WIRE W lTH PLASTIC MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,581, dated June 3,1890.

Application filed March 13, 1890- Serial No. 348,755. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DUBOIS D. PARMELEE, of New York city, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Covering Wire with Plastic Materials, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has reference to the con struction of apparatus for usein covering wires or like articles with a sheathing or tube of lead orother soft metals or alloys thereof or other plastic or semi-plasticsubstances. The most convenient mode of manufacturing such articles aslead-covered wire is by the use of a properly-constructed pressoperating on the principle of the lead-pipe press. Many apparatus ormachines have been heretofore devised for this purpose. Their essentialparts are a reservoir for the soft lead, a ram, a core-tube forconveying the wire into the reservoir, and a concentric die for forcingthe lead around the wire.

The object of the present invention is the construction of an efficientapparatus independent of any particular press, but which may be readilyconnected with or disconnected from a press or jack of any suitablekind. Such apparatus contains in compact form all the devices necessaryfor applying the sheath of soft metal or other substance around a wire,and avoids the necessity of a specially-constructed pipe-press. Itsappli cation to and use in connection with an ordinary press do notimpair the usefulness of the latter for ordinary purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure I is a perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. II is a centralvertical cross-section, and Fig. III is a sectional plan on the line AB, Fig. I.

E is a steel crucible.

F is the lid or cover of the crucible, fastened by steel bolts G. On oneside of the crucible is a flange or projection h, into which a pipe I:is screwed. There are also two flanges Zm projecting from the crucibledirectly opposite or in line with each other, as shown in Fig. III. Atthe top of the crucible is a flange n, Figs. I and II, which rests uponthe drawings.

a corresponding flange p of a cast-iron case or cylinder. '2", to whichit is fastened by bolts 25. At the bottom of the case is a flange a",which is bolted'to a cast-iron base by bolts '11.

Into the flanges Z m, Fig. II, of the crucible are screwed tubes to andy, which reach within the crucible and taper inwardly, as shown in Atthe end of each of these tubes and within the crucible is a steel die.These dies are designated a: and z, respectively. (See Fig. III.) Thedie or tip 00 is screwed into its tube, while the die 2 is held inposition by a taper and flange.

In the caser is a door 8, openingto the space below the crucible. At thetop of the case, on a line with the top of the crucible inte riorly, areapertures a for the passage of the products of the fuel used for heatingthe crucible.

The outer end of the tube has screwthreads, as represented in all thefigures, for attachment to a cistern or reservoir of melted or plasticmetal.

In operationfor example, to incase an insulated wire with lead the wireis passed into the tube to, Fig. III, through the die 00, l

which it closely fits, and then into the die 2 of the tube y. than thedie x as the thickness of the caseor tube of metal required. The plasticmetal or alloy, so rendered by proper regulation of its temperature, isforced into the crucible through the pipe 70, filling it, and then it isforced into the space between the die z and the wire inserted in it. Itcarries the wireby adhesion through the tube 'y outwardly andcontinuously to a suitable reel, precisely as long practiced in themanufacture of lead pipe. The feeding of the wire to the tube 10 is mostconveniently done from a reel. The temperature of the crucible isgoverned by the heat from a portable charcoal-brazier, a Bunsen burneror oil flame placed through the doors under it, and by a cold blast ofair from any form of suitable blower when the temperature is to belowered.

A reservoir or cistern of melted metahprovided with means for exertingsufficient pressure on its surface, is required; but as such apparatusis common and forms no part of the This die is as much larger presentinvention it is not shown. To this reservoir, near the bottom, isscrewed the pipe 76, which leads to and enters the crucible E, Fig. III.

An ordinary hydraulic lead-pipe press may be used by simply entering thepipe in at the side near the bottom of the lead cylinder and closingaperture for the dies of the cylinder Without impairing its Value forordinary use, as when the press is desired for its regular use the pipe7a is detached and a solid rod or tap-bolt is screwed in its place.

The dies 00 .2, Fig. 3, employed in the tubes w y of the cruciblecorrespond with the size of the wire or cable to be covered and thethickness of the metal required. These dies may therefore be changed byremoving the tubes 10 y from the crucible and inserting the proper pair,as occasion may require.

The shape of the dies found best in practice is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

I claim as my invention- An apparatus for covering wire with a sheath ofplastic material, said apparatus being separate from and independent ofany particular form of press and comprising a crucible flanged andbolted to a supportingcase, the core and die tubes screwed into thecrucible with their axes concentric and having each at its inner end aremovable die or tip, and a third tube with its axis at an angle to thefirst-named tubes, said casing being adapted for the introduction ofheating or cooling agents, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

DUBOIS I). PARMELEE.

Witnesses:

J. M. I\;'[Cl\[AHAN, VIoToR E. BURKE.

